9 negative effects of marijuana on the brain

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in the world, and the third drug only behind tobacco and alcohol. The cannabis business moves a lot of money around the world, both illegal and legal in more and more places.

There are more and more companies that profit from selling marijuana or products related to its consumption (pipes, self-cultivation materials, etc). For this reason, social networks are increasingly flooded with false information about the recreational use of cannabis, minimizing its risks and exaggerating its supposed benefits.

The reality is that heavy marijuana use can cause brain damage of all kinds, and worsen any previous psychological problems. There are many studies that show how THC (and other substances present in the cannabis plant) change the way the brain works, in many cases for the worse.

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The main detrimental effects marijuana has on the brain

In this article I am going to talk about the possible effects of marijuana on the brain, the negative ones, although the companies that who profit from marijuana are not interested in public discussion of the risks of frequent or excessive use of cannabis.

1. Amnesia

Excessive use of marijuana can cause memory problems, difficulties accessing certain memories.

It is common to talk to some people who use marijuana on a daily basis and see that they lose the thread of the conversation. Although it seems like a stereotype, it is based on reality, and many people who consume often will have verified it.

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2. Concentration problems

Other negative effects of cannabis use are usually concentration problems. These brain damages become more patent and obvious when we talk about adolescents or very young people consuming, as their brains are still developing, so early cannabis use limits their intellectual and emotional development.

3. Schizophrenia and psychosis

The symptoms of schizophrenia or psychotic episodes are usually the most dramatic consequences when we talk about excessive consumption of marijuana. Episodes in which the person loses connection with reality, and puts his life and that of people around him at risk, in many cases ending up in a hospital emergency room, or under psychiatric medication for a long time.

It is important that we clarify that not all people who use marijuana will suffer from psychosis. It is a complex matter and it depends a lot on genetics. Frequent joint smoking can “trigger” psychosis in some people with a certain genetic vulnerability. In some people it can happen very soon, within a few months or weeks of starting to use, and in others it can take years.

The reality is that no teenager who starts smoking joints comes with a genetic test in hand, so no user of Cannabis can actually rule out the possibility that sooner or later its use will cause brain damage and psychiatric problems serious. Episodes of "paranoia" are frequent among people who have smoked marijuana (depending on the amount, the variety, their frequency of consumption, their genetics, etc.). Most of the negative effects of marijuana are related to THC (its main active ingredient, and responsible for the "high" that people seek when they smoke a joint).

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Some studies speak of up to 40% more likely to suffer from psychosis among marijuana users.

4. Sleeping problems

Sleep problems are extremely common among people who smoke marijuana.

Many start to scale up and increase their frequency of use because they notice that it helps them fall asleep more easily. But they pay the price of having much worse quality sleep, with much shorter REM phases (without dreams), limiting their rest.

It is also common for people to be afraid to give up joints because they think that without smoking marijuana they will not be able to sleep, that they will suffer from insomnia. Here we are talking about a clear dependency, and an important part of any psychological treatment to leave the Marijuana goes through helping the person to improve their sleeping habits so that they no longer need to smoke a joint to be able to to sleep.

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5. Depression

Not only is cannabis use related to depressive symptomatology, but many people who suffer from depression they turn to marijuana (or other drugs) to try to deal with daily discomfort. Marijuana use for depression is a vicious circle in which the person, the worse he feels, the more he smokes, and the more he smokes, the worse he feels when he does not smoke.

6. Anxiety and irritability

Regular cannabis use is also associated with anxiety, irritability or outbursts of anger.

Many people use marijuana daily because do not know how to deal with anxiety and stress on a daily basis. The person who smokes frequently becomes more and more disconnected from what he feels, and ends up using joints as a way of self-medicating. So when he tries to quit, he panics at the thought of all the anxiety he will experience and that he won't know how to deal with it without smoking a joint.

7. Loss of motivation

Amotivational syndrome is another of the most frequent negative effects of cannabis. My psychotherapy office is filled with people who smoke several joints a day and who don't feel like doing anything, have dropped out of school or have a hard time going to work without having smoked before.

This is why cannabis is an addictive drug. Because like any other drug, it directly affects the brain's reward system, the circuits of dopamine and other neurotransmitters related to motivation and reinforcement of behavior or habits.

The person's brain gets used to regular marijuana use and ends up overshadowing everything else. Activities that were previously motivating and exciting now turn gray and the person loses interest in anything other than smoking joints.

8. disconnection from relationships

Daily joint smoking also limits a person's social interactions, makes them "close in on themselves", and lose interest in spending time with people who don't smoke joints. Family members and close people often report how it is very difficult for them to enjoy conversations or contact with other people.

9. Addiction

Marijuana is an addictive drug, no one can deny that at this point. Marijuana-related brain damage makes her feel anguished or even terrified at the thought of living without smoking a joint.

As with any other drug, the person who enjoys the consumption begins to climb it and smoke more and more and more frequently. He develops tolerance (marijuana doesn't have as much of an effect on him as it used to), so he starts smoking more and more. Until there comes a point where their life revolves around smoking joints, and they lock themselves up more and more in environments that promote their consumption (groups of friends who also smoke joints, or online communities that encourage you to continue consuming, making you think that marijuana is harmless and does not cause problems).

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how to quit marijuana

If you've tried to quit smoking joints and haven't been able to, you need professional help.

My name is Louis Michael Royal, and I am a psychologist specializing in addictions. Over the years, I have helped many people quit marijuana. If you need help, contact me as soon as possible and we'll get to work on it.